Metal lid lifter with presser shoe



Nov. 18, 1958 M. P. LYDON METAL LID LIFTER WITH PRESSER SHOE.

Filed 001:. 23, 1956 IN VENTOR Mariz'n Rzin'dr Lydon United States Patent IVIETAL LID LIFTER WlTH PRESSER SHOE Martin Patrick Lydon, Inglewood, Calif assignor to Continental Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 23, 1956, Serial No. 617,861

2 Claims. (Cl. 81---3.46)

The invention relates generally to container opening devices and seeks to provide a novel opener adapted for the multiple purposes of lifting the metal lids from tubs in which cottage cheese, butter or similar products are packaged, removing crown caps from bottles or the like, or for removing closures designed to present spaced flange or shoulder portions between which prying tools are receivable.

It is popular at the present time to package cottage cheese and butter or the like in paper or plastic tubs and to close such tubs with metal covers including a countersunk central disk and plug portion insertable into the upper portion of .a tub and an outwardly spaced depending skirt for embracing the tub mouth and forming with said plug a downwardly opening channel in which to receive the tub edge defining said mouth. Presently known lid lifters are found objectionable when it is attempted to use them in the removal of such closures because they present pointed or narrow edge portions for engagement with the central disk portion of .a lid with the result that they puncture or dent the closures in a manner rendering them unsightly or useless. It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a novel form of lid lifter which is capable of being used efliciently in the lifting of lids of the character stated without any danger of puncturing or denting the same or in any way marring lithographing or other decorations thereon.

In its more detailed nature the invention seeks to provide a lid lifter of the character stated including a flat bar-like handle or body portion engageable over the channel of a cover and having a broad flat hook portion struck downwardly out of the body thereof and engageable under the depending skirt, an offset for extending downwardly into the lid countersink when the handle portion is resting in generally horizontal position over said channel, and a broad presser shoe projecting from the offset in a plane generally paralleling the plane of the handle portion and disposed to engage flatwise over a large area of the central disk portion of the lid so that when the hook portion is engaged under the lid skirt and the handle portion is lifted, a downward pressure will be applied by the shoe and a lifting action by said hook portion effective to lift the lid off the tub without any damage to the lid.

Another object of the-invention is to provide a lid lifter of the character stated wherein the shoe is generally rectangular in shape and has a slightly convex face presented for contact with the central disk closure portion of the lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lid lifter of the character stated wherein one side edge of the bar-like handle portion is provided with a crown cap receiving recess engageable over a bottle or can sealing crown cap, and a lifter hook or nose portion engageable under such a cap for prying the same off of .a container sealed thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lid litter of the character stated wherein the end of the handle portion remote from the offset and shoe is shaped to a provide a prying tool insertable into a space between flange or shoulder portions of a container and its closure lid for prying off said lid.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view looking upwardly at the lid lifter.

Figure 2 is a perspective view looking downwardly at the lid lifter.

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the lid lifter applied to a lid.

Figure 4 is a side elevation.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the lid lifter applied to a lid preparatory to lifting the same from a tub closed thereby.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is shown a tub 5 such as is commonly in use in the packaging of cottage cheese, butter, or the like and having a mouth defining upper edge 6 and an outwardly projecting bead 7. A metal closure lid is illustrated and generally designated 8, and said lid includes a central countersunk closure disk portion 9, and a plug wall 10 insertable into the mouth portion of the tub and having an outwardly projecting bead receivable in the tub bead 7 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 5. The lid also includes a depending skirt 12 which cooperates with the plug wall 10 in providing a channel 13 in which the mouth defining edge portion of the tub is received in the manner illustrated in Figure 5.

The improved lid lifter comprises a bar-like handle portion 14 having a wide book 15 struck out therefrom at 16 and bent downwardly to be engaged as at 17 under a lid skirt in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 5. At its inner end the handle portion 14 merges into a downward offset 18 which in turn merges into a generally rectangular presser shoe 19. It will be apparent that the handle body 14 and the shoe 19 are disposed in planes which are generally parallel and spaced by the ofiset 18, the spacing being such and the offset 18 being so arranged that when the lid lifter is applied as shown in Figures 3 and S the handle portion will project in generally horizontal position over the lid ledge 13, the offset 18 will extend down into the lid countersink and the presser shoe 19 will engage flatwise over a large area of the central countersunk closure disk portion 9.

The shoe is preferably, but not necessarily, slightly convex as at 20 and provided with smoothly rounded corners 21. By reason of the provision of the large area presser shoe and the particular formation thereof, pressure is applied by the shoe to the underlying lid portion without any danger of cutting, denting, or in any way marring the surface of the central portion of the lid or any lithographing or other decorations thereon.

One side edge of the handle portion 14 is provided with a crown cap receiving recess 22 and has a lifting hook or nose portion 23. It will be readily apparent that the handle portion 14 can be applied edgewise to a crown cap sealed container with the recess 22 engaging over the crown cap and the hook portion 23 engaging thereunder, .and in this manner crown caps can be removed from the containers sealed thereby with great facility. The handle portion 14 may also have the end thereof remote from the ation or the lid so that when the handle portion is lifted the wide hook 15 will lift upwardly on the lid skirt and the shoe 19 will press downwardly against the lid, retaining the relation of the lid lifter and lid to move as one in removing the lid from its closing position on the tub 5. As before stated, the lifting of the lid can be accomplished without in anyway cutting, bending or marring the central disk portion 9 of the lid or its skirt 12.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be rnade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lid lifter for lids having a skirt, a wall, a peripheral channel, and a central countersunk portion, said lifter comprising a flat bar-like handle body portion engageable over the channel of such a lid in a generally horizontal position and having a broad flat hook portion struck downwardly out of said body portion and engageable under the depending skirt of the lid, said body portion merging into a downward offset for extending downwardly into the lids countersunk portion, and a broad presser shoe projecting from the ofiset in a plane generally paralleling the plane of the handle portion and having a length greater than the width of the handle portion disposed to extend at each end beyond the side edge line of said handle body portion and to engage flatwise over a large area of the central countersunk portion of the lid, the depth of the offset of said presser shoe being greater than the depth to which the hook portion is struck down from the handle body portion to place the lower limit of the hook portion intermediately of the depth of said offset and above a line between the offset and the free end of the body portion.

2. A lid lifter as defined in claim 1 wherein the presser shoe is generally rectangular in shape and has a slightly convex face presented for contact simultaneously from end to end of said shoe with the central countersunk por tion of the lid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,677 Frey Nov. 27, 1906 2,545,979 Tregear Mar. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 902,187 France Nov. 27, 1944 

